Duplo USA

An unexpected Spring snowstorm and a down economy couldn't keep attendees from crowding the 10th annual On Demand show. By Bob Neubauer and Mike Llewellyn Despite a surprise spring snowfall that blanketed New York City and weakened first-day attendance, the 10th annual On Demand Digital Printing & Publishing Conference went on as usual early last month. The exhibit hall at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center seemed much larger this year, due in part to On Demand's co-location with the AIIM Conference & Exposition. As a result, there were 438 exhibitors, compared with 150+ at last year's show. By the event's second day,

Saddle stitcher manufacturers say time is of the essence in their business, and they're looking to save it on makeready, training, production and, of course, ROI. by Mike Llewellyn "IN-PLANTS, LIKE every business, are being challenged to do more with less," says Mark Hunt, director of marketing for Standard Finishing Systems. But unlike other businesses, Hunt believes, in-plants have a more reliable stream of internal work feeding them. To vendors of finishing equipment, this makes in-plants the ideal customers in slow economic times. "In-plants are extremely important," Hunt continues. "In-plants have always been important, but especially in difficult times because they have their own

At in-plants across the country, the digital revolution is in full swing. More than ever, managers are realizing the benefits of being able to print variable data and digital color, and many find themselves teaching their customers just how valuable this technology can be. According to IPG research, the number of in-plants using digital printing technology has risen to over 80 percent from around 60 percent in 1999, with 34 percent more work now printed digitally than four years ago. To help you wade through the wealth of digital products launched over the past year, IPG has assembled a directory of the

Forget what you knew about digital duplicators. The models of yesteryear have been replaced by fast, high-quality machines. by John Reiling There's no longer much debate about the value of digital technology in printing and imaging applications. That said, it's puzzling that so many in-plants have yet to adopt digital systems in a serious way. What's Your Application? Some applications for digital duplicators

In-plants sure do a lot of binding. In fact, more in-plants have bindery equipment than offset presses or copiers. According to an IPG survey, the top three pieces of in-plant equipment are paper cutters, folders and drills/punches, with 97+ percent of in-plants saying they own this equipment. Close behind are saddle stitchers (installed in 83 percent of in-plants), collators (81 percent) and spiral wire binders (46 percent). That's because in-plants know that a job isn't finished until it's...well, finished. So maintaining an arsenal of top-notch bindery equipment is essential to providing customers with the quality they expect from an in-plant. Like all

J.R. Gaddis and his staff at University of Oregon Printing and Mailing Services run an in-plant that does it all. Of all the in-plants on the IPG Top 50, this operation provides the most services—just about every service an in-plant can offer. Here's a look at what they do: Design The in-plant employs four prepress specialists who also handle some design work when requested. It's not a service that Gaddis is ready to start pushing too hard, though. "If we're asked, we'll do it," he says. Electronic Prepress "A couple of years ago we installed an Avantra 30 [imagesetter], and we went totally

The Division of Publishing and Distribution Services for the State of Oregon has held strong for the past year, with sales steady despite an unfriendly economic climate. Manager Kay Erickson attributes the health of her facility to seeking out innovative ways to bring in extra revenue. Clocking in at three years on the job, Erickson may not be a veteran yet, but she has not let that stop her from guiding the shop through what she sees as the three main changes shaping its future. They are a transition into digital printing, a partnership with Oregon Corrections Enterprises and the addition of graphic

Mailing services are a natural addition to any in-plant. Here's a look at some of the equipment that can make your mailing operation successful. By MIKE LLEWELLYN &012;Nearly half of all in-plants provide mailing services, according to a recent IPG survey. And why not? Who better to oversee mail than the people printing it? At the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, the mailing services operation recently moved into the printing facility, bringing all 87 print and mail employees together. "We're hoping that one-stop shopping will really add to the value we bring to the university," says Robert Miller, production manager. A few months

In today's print-on-demand market, manufacturers are rolling out collators designed for shorter runs. by Chris Bauer The Kansas Department of Transportation's in-plant specializes in really big jobs—to be specific, high-volume 22x36˝ construction documents. Last year the Topeka-based shop output 1,679,100 square feet of these large documents. When it's not handling these projects, though, the 25-employee shop keeps busy printing smaller sized items like training manuals, monthly reports and a KDOT newsletter. To handle these jobs, the in-plant relies heavily on its 30-bin, three-tower C.P. Bourg BST 10 collator. "The best feature on the collator is that it's electronically programmable," notes Bill Crooks, print shop

New digital gear and a streamlined production process are propelling this Alabama in-plant to the forefront. by Bob Neubauer When Alabama's finance director mandated that all state printing be routed through the Division of Printing and Publications a few years ago, he ticked off a lot of state agencies. One of them, the Alabama Forestry Commission, grumbled for weeks, upset it couldn't keep using its long-time commercial vendor. "But they worked with us a time or two and found out that we could do the job—and we actually did it cheaper," notes Jerry Wilson, division director of Alabama's Division of Printing and Publications,